Course Catalogue

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This course will explore the political, ideological and social characteristics of the Twelfth Century through the civil war which dominated Stephen's reign. As well as aiming at an understanding of the complex history of the period itself, it also engages with wider issues. 

14x1hr lectures; 6x1hr seminars over 10 weeks as scheduled in MyCampus. This is one of the Honours options in History and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available in MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into History, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

None

None

Exam (2 hour duration) - 60%

Essay (2000 words) - 30%

Seminar Presentation - 6%

Seminar Contribution - 4%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course aims to:

■ Develop the intellectual interests and analytical skills acquired by students during their first two years.

■ Provide an awareness of previously unfamiliar methodological approaches, chronological periods and geographical areas by offering a wide and flexible choice of options.

■ Offer the opportunity to develop skills in historical computing, as well as basic IT awareness.

■ Provide familiarity with complex historical debates and interpretations, skill in interpreting primary sources where appropriate, and to inform these discussions with new ideas derived from lecturers' current research.

■ Develop transferable skills by fostering individual initiative, personal choice, group discussion and, where appropriate, problem-solving teamwork.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Understand and have the ability to make judgements upon the complexities of the history of the reign.

■ Approach more conceptual issues such as the nature of the 'anarchy', and the structures of the 'kingdom' and 'society' and to apply your understanding of these through the class work.

■ Display an awareness of the importance of the primary source material and an ability to analyse it constructively in understanding of the period.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.